Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard. Left to right/De gauche à droite : Valaire, Alexandra Stréliski, Philippe Brach, Loud, Kanen

Video: 2023 ADISQ Gala Interviews, Part One

Story by Eric Parazelli | Thursday November 9th, 2023

Welcome to the first round of the numerous interviews we conducted backstage at the 2023 ADISQ Gala and Premier Gala.

 

For the band Valaire, their language of expression is like their music: multiple and varied. It’s no wonder that they won the Félix for the Album of the Year – Multilingual and Other Languages, in recognition of the quality of the work Jazz Futon. The band members spent a few minutes with us to talk about it at the Premier Gala de l’ADISQ.

ADISQ, Gala, 2023, Valaire, Interview

Select the image to play the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Valaire

 

Alexandra Stréliski won the Félix awards for Female Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year – International Success at the ADISQ Gala. She also won the Félix for Album of the Year – Instrumental Music, for Néo-Romance, at the Premier Gala. We caught up with her in the Gala press room to talk, among other things, about the different audiences she’s encountered on her international tours.

ADISQ, Gala, 2023, Alexandra Streliski, Interview

Select the image to play the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Alexandra Stréliski

 

Philippe Brach won three trophies during the Wednesday night galas: two at the Gala de l’industrie (Recording and Mixing of the Year, and Album Cover of the Year) and Album of the Year – Alternative at the Premier Gala, for Les gens qu’on aime. We chatted with him to gather his impressions.

ADISQ, Gala, 2023, Philippe Brach, Interview
Select the image to play the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Philippe Brach

 

With Aucune promesse, rapper Loud chose a different path, instead of following the expectations that weighed on him after the huge success of his previous albums. That didn’t stop him from winning the Félix for Album of the Year – Rap at the Premier Gala de l’ADISQ.

ADISQ, Gala, 2023, Loud, Interview
Select the image to play the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Loud

 

On Nov. 5, 2023, Kanen became the very first Indigenous artist to win the Félix for Revelation of the Year at the ADISQ Gala. She also won in the Indigenous Artist of the Year category. We caught up with her after the gala to discuss her attachment to her community of Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, now that she’s based in Montréal.

ADISQ, Gala, 2023, Kanen, Interview

Select the image to play the SOCAN YouTube interview video with Kanen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by SOCAN

Discover next generation of great Canadian songwriters with 2023 SOCAN Songwriting Prize

Story by SOCAN | Thursday November 9th, 2023

SOCAN has announced the finalists for the 2023 SOCAN Songwriting Prize, celebrating the exceptional talent of Canadian emerging songwriters in 2022, as determined by music industry and journalism experts.  The 16 finalist songs exhibit the diversity and creativity of Canada, and fans can vote for their favourite now. 

 The SOCAN Songwriting Prize, and the equivalent Prix de la chanson SOCAN for Francophone songwriters, are the only major songwriting awards in Canada honouring the incredible talent of Canada’s emerging songwriters. 

“The SOCAN Songwriting prize highlights Canada’s next wave of great songwriters. From all corners of the country, they’re putting out tremendous bodies of work, reminding us how special it is to live amongst such culturally rich storytelling,“ said Jennifer Brown, SOCAN CEO. “This is why the Online Streaming Act is so important: we must continue to advocate for the support and promotion of our talent, ensuring that Canadians will always be able to create, and listen to, music that reflects their lived experience, now and in the future.“ 

 The English and French grand prize winners receive $10,000 each, a Yamaha musical instrument valued up to $2500 (minimum advertised price) and a $500 gift card from Long & McQuade.  

 The eight finalists for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize (English) are:  

  •  “always” – written by Felix Fox-Pappas, Chester Hansen, Eliza Niemi, Alexander Sowinski, Leland Whitty, Jonah Yano; performed by Jonah Yano; 
    Hansen, Sowinski, and Whitty published by Third Side Music Inc., Yano published by Secretly Canadian Publishing.  
  •  “Big Steppa” – written by Bolu Akande and Tosan Arenyeka; performed by aRENYE.  
  •  “Grab Your Guts” – written by Maylee Todd; performed by Maylee Todd.  
  •  “IF THERE’S NO SEAT IN THE SKY (WILL YOU FORGIVE ME???)” – written by Saya Gray; performed by Saya Gray;
    published by Saya Gray/Kobalt Music Publishing Canada.      
  •  “Levels” – written by Max Akres, Jeremy Alain, Corben Bowen, Zachary Djurich, Chris Larocca, Herag Sanbalian, Jacob Wilkinson-Smith; performed by Boslen. 
    Larocca published by Kilometre Music Group. All rights on behalf of Kilometre Music Group B administered by Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd. 
  •  “Put ‘Em Down” – written by Jeffrey Maurice, Joshua Qaumariaq; performed by The Trade-Offs.  
  •  “Silver Into Rain” – written by Hannah Kim, Beatrice Laus; performed by Luna Li feat. beabadoobee.  
    Kim published by 88 Rising/Kobalt Music Publishing Canada. Laus published by Sony Music Publishing.  
  •  “STEPMOM” – written by Dacey Andrada, Justin Tecson; performed by Dacey.  

 Fans can vote daily in both the English and French competitions from Nov. 9 to 16, 2023, for their favourite song by the nominees, by visiting socansongwritingprize.ca.   The winning songs are scheduled to be announced the week of Nov. 20, 2023.  

 The eight song finalists for the 2023 Prix de la chanson SOCAN, the Francophone counterpart to the SOCAN Songwriting Prize, are:  

  • “Ton shift est pas fini” – written by Gabriel Bouchard, Mathieu Quenneville; performed by Gab Bouchard; published by Éditions Bravo Musique Inc.   
  •  “Depuis” – written by Lydia Képinski; performed by Lydia Képinski.  
  •  “Fille à porter” – written by Ariane Roy, Roxane Azzaria; performed by Ariane Roy, Lou-Adriane Cassidy.  
  •  “D’où c’que j’viens” – written by Simon Bolduc; performed by Bolduc tout croche.  
  •  “Lesbienne woke sur l’autotune” – written by Julie Gagnon, Charles Gaudreau-Lerhe; performed by Calamine.  
  •  “Tintagel” – written by Lysandre Ménard; performed by Lysandre.  
  •  “C00N” – written by Shamyr Daléus, Nicholas Craven; performed by Raccoon; published by Disques RER Inc..  
  •  “Attiser le dilemme” – written by Rose–Emmanuelle Brassard, Joannie Michaud, Frédéric Levac; performed by Rosie Valland; published by Secret City Publishing.   

 Every year, two independent panels, each comprising 10 music industry influencers, nominate long lists of 30 English and 30 French songs by emerging Canadian songwriters and composers, released in the previous year, that they feel are artistically superior and meet eligibility criteria. All long-listed songs are then voted on by the panels to determine each list of eight finalists in English and French. SOCAN does not have a role in determining nominees or winners. 

 

Photo by Addi B

Music industry players share valuable experience at “Halloween in Hollywood” mic drop mixer

Story by Howard Druckman, with files from/avec la participation de Racquel Villagante | Thursday November 9th, 2023

PHOTO GALLERY BELOW

Thirteen knowledgeable music ecosystem representatives shared their valuable insights and advice about making it in Los Angeles, with a crowd of about 100 L.A.-based SOCAN members who are new to the city, as we hosted a “Halloween in Hollywood” mic drop mixer at the historic Sound Factory studios, on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.

Each of these 13 key players in the LA music industry spoke briefly to the members:

  • Jarret Mckenzie – Feels Right Management
  • Livy Rodriguez-Behar – Dreamboat Music Supervision
  • Danny Berkeley-Scott – Hallwood Media
  • Doug Deluca – Lineage Music Group
  • Andre Galuban – Canadian Consulate in L.A. (Head of Music)
  • Max Espinosa – SalxCo
  • Mauricio Ruiz – 8tilfaint
  • Chukwudi Obi and Laura Johnson – Red Bull Records
  • Adrienne Reeves – Versa Music Group
  • Allyson Aranez – Aspect Agency
  • Nat Yaeger – Vnclm_ x Atlantic
  • Gabi Kochlani – The Grey Administration

In addition to providing an educational and networking opportunity for members, we also presented a No. 1 Song Award to Scott Helman, who scaled the peak of the CBC Music Top 20 Countdown Chart on July 2, 2023, with his song “Drive.” Our Creative Executives Racquel Villagante (Los Angeles) and Liam Russell (Los Angeles & Nashville) bestowed the trophy to Helman during the festivities.

Among the SOCAN members attending the event were Zach Zoya, Nathalie Bonin, JESSIA, Jamie Fine, Danny Del, Kareem James, Alicia Creti, Marc Majore, Jude Connors, Kalli Lang, Andrea Wasse, VIBI, Noah  Barer, and Taylor Kernohan.

In addition to the key music ecosystem players listed above, among the industry representatives in attendance were Arian Tehranian and Max Espinosa, of SalxCo (artist managers for The Weeknd, NAV, and Belly); Mya Hansen and Adam Ikner, of Sony Music Publishing; Izzy Elefante, of APG; Dougie Bohay, of YMU Group; Twiggy and Sam Pringle, of Project Gold; Cameell Hanna, of Sound Factory Records; and Bret Disend, of Ozone Entertainment.

In addition to Racquel Villagante and Liam Russell, attending for SOCAN were Alex Golden, Manager, Creative Operations and Programming, and Ayden Pelle, SOCAN Los Angeles  intern, from the University of Southern California (USC).

We also gave a prize away for the best costumes – and you can see the winners in the final photo of the gallery below!

Access a complete set of photos from the event.